I've been getting texts and DM's today asking for my POV on the second antitrust ruling that came down today. Mostly, people are asking if I think there will be a forced breakup.
Honestly, I have no idea if a breakup is in the cards.
馃 I saw all the news articles but found myself wanting to see the actual text of the ruling with my own eyes. So that is what I've done for you below. An easy resource that guides you to the parts of the ruling I happen to think are most relevant.
The court's decision
The court found Google liable for monopolization of two components of the digital advertising ecosystem:
- Publisher-side ad servers
- Ad exchanges for open-web inventory (specifically display)
The court also ruled that Google unlawfully tied these products together.
The court determined that Google's activities violated both Section 1 and Section 2 of the Sherman Act, finding that Google "willfully acquired and maintained" monopoly power rather than achieving dominance through superior products or business acumen.
The court did dismiss one claim, ruling that the Plaintiffs failed to properly define a relevant market for advertiser ad networks.
